Seniors on the Sahara’ concludes theater’s season

What happens when an elderly woman from New Jersey unwittingly returns from the Middle East with a genie in an ancient artifact?

CHRISTOPHER THOMAS Daily News Staff

What happens when an elderly woman from New Jersey unwittingly returns from the Middle East with a genie in an ancient artifact?

“Hilarity ensues,” said Gaylene Branton of Sneads Ferry Community Theatre.

On Sept. 20, Sneads Ferry Community Theatre premiers the final show of its 12th season, “Seniors of the Sahara” by Barbara Pease Weber. The show revolves around Sylvie Goldberg, a retiree living in a senior’s community on the New Jersey coast, her friends and a genie named Eugene, who is hundreds of years old, has a bad back and has an affinity for V8 and vodka.

Branton returns to the director’s chair for this production, leading her fifth show for the organization, and says the show won’t only make the audience laugh, but may conjure memories of people in their own lives.

“The audience can connect with at least one character in this show,” Branton said. “Either they’ll see themselves or someone they know.”

The director’s chair is a familiar one to Tania Gonzalez, who plays the Sylvie in the play. Gonzalez directed Seeing Stars in Dixie, a production that ran in mid-June, saying directing required dealing with every aspect of the show at once. Gonzalez says returning to the stage brings its own set of rewards and challenges.

“When you’re the director, you don’t have lines to memorize and you don’t have to depend on others to say their lines so you can say yours,” said Gonzalez. “But, you’re responsible for everything and when you see people mess up, you get sick to your stomach.”

Gonzalez describes her character as a respectable, elderly Jewish widow who only wants to live out her years in pleasant serenity among her family and friends — but all that goes down the tubes once the genie pops into her life.

“This guy comes in and ruins everything,” said Gonzalez.

The “guy” is Eugene the Genie, played by John Pratt, a retired Navy veteran with a background in acting going back to his high school days. Pratt says acting not only provides artistic outlets, but psychological ones.

“It’s the cheapest therapy there is,” said Pratt. “Everything seems to work out, and you know how everything is going to come out.”

Pratt describes Gene as an accommodating presence whose personality is more in the vein of Barbara Eden’s Jeannie than Robin Williams’ madcap, anarchic genie from Disney’s Aladdin. Pratt said finding Eugene’s voice was harder than expected.

“My Middle Eastern accent would turn Irish,” said Pratt. “It was tough finding an example since many Middle Eastern actors seem to speak in British accents.”

Members of the cast, as well as Branton, said the show will be full of laughs for audiences young and old; but Branton said above all, she hopes the audience will walk away with an emotional imprint after the final bows are taken.

“The theater is all about reaching people on some level,” said Branton. “I want to make people feel something through these shows.”

Want to go?

Sneads Ferry Community Theatre is presenting “Seniors of the Sahara,” a comedy by playwright Barbara Pease Weber, at their theater at 126 Park Lane. The show will run from Sept. 20 to Sept. 22 and Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. Friday and Saturday shows will start at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees will start at 3 p.m. There will also be an Active Duty Military Appreciation Night on Sept. 19 (admission is free with proof of military ID) and a wine and cheese reception on Sept. 20 at 7:15. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (with student ID). Reservations for parties of 10 or more must be made in advance by contacting the box office at 910-327-2798. For more information, visit sneadsferrycommunitytheatre.com.